Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

[Blackjack Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Blackjack]

Hi Guys,

I'm new to this Prado forum and this is my first post, ...as well as my first Prado ! Seems to be a cracker truck and I looking forward to getting it and my caravan on the road.

I'm hoping someone may be able to provide some good advice re the fitting of the Prodigy brake controller. From reading a previous post it appears that placing it just above the knee airbag on the left side of the drivers side is a good position and I think that will work fine. Now some questions:

(1) Toyota fitted the proper towbar and used their cabling harness p/no PZQ61 - 60230 - 40 - 50, which is great. This harness also contains a specific 2mm blue wire that is labeled 'electric brakes'. The harness with this 'blue' connection is installed in the left rear of the truck. What I need to know is where does this 'blue' wire run to in the truck. Does it on end up on a connection plug somewhere in the front of the vehicle, perhaps under the dash or maybe at a fuse panel ? Or does it possibly run to the engine bay ?

(2) Can you tap into the 'brake switch' above the pedal ? Or is there a point near the brake pedal that you can tap into ? Or as someone else has done do you need to connect into the stop light circuit at the rear of the truck ?

(3) Last question, is there a good point under the dash where you can pick up the 12v+ power, at 15 to 20 amps ? What about a good ground point ?

There may be a lot in common in this regard with the 120 series so maybe some of the answers can be found there. I appreciate that the 150 is very new and there may not yet be a lot of knowledge on forum.

Any advice appreciated.....Rob

[leachy_9 Advanced Member Find all posts View Profile Close leachy_9]

Re: Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

Hi Guys,

(3) Last question, is there a good point under the dash where you can pick up the 12v+ power, at 15 to 20 amps ? What about a good ground point ?


Any advice appreciated.....Rob

The brake controller should be wired directly from the battery via a suitably sized auto reset circuit breaker.
You should keep the brake controller circuit seperate to minimise the possbility of loosing power to the brake controller should a fault occur in other equipment. Don't just connect into an existing circuit under the dash.
Since you will need to get a wire from the battery, though the firwall to the brake controller for the 12V+ it is just as easy to pull a second wire for the 12V- at the same time a connect the negative directly to the battery.

Leachy

[Blackjack Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Blackjack]

Re: Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

Thanks Leachy, I was intending to do that anyway.

In the interim I have found out that the the tow harness supplied by Toyota in this part of the world is designed for Australian models (and I think it is made in 'OZ'), and unfortunately does not connect the 'blue' wire from the tow-bar connector into the Prado wiring. I say unfortunately because other harness's for this model supplied by Toyota in other countries do contain all the wiring, relays and other necessary connections. I am surprised given the extent of towing done in 'OZ' and NZ that Toyota Australia has not upgraded their supplied harness.

So it seems I will have to run the 'blue' lead all to way from the towbar connector down the left hand side to the engine bay and then into the dash area. I'll see what other advice there is on this aspect.

Cheers, Rob

[ABR-SIDEWINDER Member Find all posts View Profile Close ABR-SIDEWINDER]

Re: Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

We do a harness which includes a brake signal wire, I found it easier than tracing wiring.

Instructions are very easy to follow. - 6 pages with pictures.







While you have it apart best to fit the trailer charge cable and also the rear power outlet cable. These are all now available and each have their own set of instructions.

Regards

Derek

[Blackjack Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Blackjack]

Re: Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

Hey, that looks like a great solution, will give you a call later or send an email to your web.

Rgds, Rob

[Blackjack Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Blackjack]

Re: Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

Well,...job is done and it appears to work well although I am yet to take the twin-axle caravan on a long trip.

I was fortunate in that Toyota provided the tow-bar wiring harness to me prior to installing it and fitting the tow-bar, and as a result I was able to join a connecting 'blue wire' to the one that is part of the harness but not connected. In addition I was able to 'splice' into the stop light cable which goes to the ECU, and together with the 'blue wire' which I encased in a bit of plastic conduit (long enough to reach to the LH rear door sill) I then returned the harness to Toyota who installed it and left my 'mods' under the door sill as requested.

From that point I was able to join to the cable under the sill and run it up to the dashboard behind the glove box (had to remove the glove box and various trim bits), where it joined up with the +ve and earth connections I had run from the battery. These power connections were easy to do (also installed a resettable CB), and entered the vehicle via the LH side main cable connector. Once I had combined all four leads behind the glove-box I then ran them in a common conduit behind the center consol and finally to the Prodigy mounting point (as per ABR-Sidewinder's pic). Used a male four-pin plug to terminate the four cables and the female mating plug was wired to the Prodigy connections.

I should point out that what I did requires some skill and knowledge of what needs to be done, and if I was in 'OZ' the best solution for most DIY people would be to get hold of one of ABR-Sidewinder's kits.

Note that because the new Prado uses the 'can-bus' system, it is very doubtful that you could connect into the brake pedal switch successfully for the 'stop' signal. Also I didn't think the 'blue-wire' in the Toyota harness was ideal, ..I would have preferred to see a heavier gauge used.

Cheers, Rob

[zerosecta Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close zerosecta]

Re: Fitting Prodigy controller to 150 VX

Maby a little late,

At the brake pedal switch - the Purple wire is the stop signal